Markers to identify bins at security checkpoints

Abstract

A bin for use in a security checkpoint can include a receptacle surface, sidewalls, a lip provided on the sidewalls, and a geometrical marker. The geometrical marker is radiographically, visually, and tactilely detectable on the lip of one side of the bin. The geometrical marker includes a plurality of tag elements.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A bin for use in security checkpoints, comprising:
 a receptacle surface with sidewalls, one of the sidewalls being on one side of the bin and extending a bin length, along a length axis of the bin; 
 a lip, provided on the sidewall on one side of the bin, the lip including a first corner, a second corner, and a middle point between the first corner and the second corner, the first corner being spaced the bin length from the second corner; and 
 a geometrical marker, the geometrical marker being radiographically, visually, and tactilely detectable on the lip, wherein the geometrical marker includes:
 a plurality of tag elements fastened to the lip, at an offset-distance from a corner of the lip, the corner of the lip being among the first corner and the second corner, the plurality of tag elements forming a distinct geometric pattern, the distinct geometric pattern comprising a plurality of groups of the tag elements and, for each group, the tag elements in the group being aligned with equidistant spacing from one other and being among the plurality of tag elements, and 
 no tag element among the plurality of tag elements being located further than half of the bin length from said corner. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The bin of  claim 1 , wherein the offset distance between the corner of the lip and the tag elements is larger than the equidistant spacing between the plurality of tag elements in each group of tag elements. 
     
     
       3. The bin of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the equidistant spacing is an inter-tag element distance, 
 the plurality of groups are equidistantly separated from one another by an inter-group distance, the inter-group distance being at least approximately 1.5 times the inter-tag element distance, to enable visual determination of the groups as being distinct groups of tag elements, and 
 for each group among the plurality of groups, the inter-tag element distance equidistantly separates the tag elements within the group. 
 
     
     
       4. A bin for use in security checkpoints, comprising:
 a receptacle surface with sidewalls, one of the sidewalls being on one side of the bin and extending a bin length, along a length axis of the bin; 
 a lip, provided on the sidewall on one side of the bin; 
 a geometrical marker, the geometrical marker being radiographically, visually, and tactilely detectable on the lip, the geometrical marker including a plurality of tag elements fastened to the lip, in an arrangement forming a distinct geometric pattern, wherein each tag element comprises a head resting on the lip, a body inserted through the lip, and a tail. 
 
     
     
       5. The bin of  claim 4 , wherein the head has a texture that tactilely contrasts with a texture of the lip. 
     
     
       6. The bin of  claim 3 , wherein the offset distance and locations of the tag elements are set to enable estimation of a size and location of an item contained in the bin. 
     
     
       7. A bin for use in security checkpoints, comprising:
 a receptacle surface with sidewalls, one of the sidewalls being on one side of the bin and extending a bin length, along a length axis of the bin; 
 a lip, provided on the sidewall on one side of the bin; 
 a geometrical marker, the geometrical marker being radiographically, visually, and tactilely detectable on the lip, the geometrical marker including a plurality of tag elements fastened to the lip, in an arrangement forming a distinct geometric pattern, wherein the tag elements are formed by pop rivets. 
 
     
     
       8. A method for marking a plurality of bins for use in a security checkpoint, each bin of the plurality of bins having a receptacle surface, sidewalls, and lip provided on the sidewalls, the method comprising:
 determining a maximum number of distinct geometrical patterns of tag elements based upon a maximum number of groupings of tag elements and a maximum number of individual tag elements within each of the plurality of groupings; 
 determining each possible distinct geometrical pattern of tag elements; 
 determining a location X on a lip of the bins to offset the first tag element in the geometrical pattern that allows the geometric pattern to remain distinct from other patterns even when the bin is rotated; 
 marking the lip of each bin by aligning the tag elements according to one of the distinct geometrical patterns of tag elements according to a predetermined inter-tag element spacing distance provided between the tag elements, and placing the first tag element with an off-set distance from the location X; and 
 the marking being configured to use each distinct geometrical pattern on no more than one bin of the plurality of bins. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , where the plurality of bins is marked with a secondary identifier, the secondary identifier including a color marking.